Schmidt, Oscar - Brazil (Moscow 1980, Los Angeles 1984, Seoul 1988, Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996). Born 02/16/1958.

Only two Olympians have ever competed in five Olympic games and Oscar Schmidt is one of them. He was drafted by the New Jersey Nets in 1984, but the Nets could not convince him to join their team. He was the top scorer in three of those games, scoring a total of 1,093 points in the five Olympic games (he is the all-time scoring Olympian). He scored more points in his basketball career than any other player, totaling 48,161 (the second leading scorer is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 38,387 points). Schmidt led the Brazilian National Team to an historic upset over the US National Team with David Robinson and Danny Manning in Indianapolis, 1987. For more information about Schmidt, read his InterBasket.Net profile. - Matt Blair

Belov, Sergei - Soviet Union/Russia (Mexico 1968, Munich 1972, Montreal 1976, Moscow 1980). Born 1/23/1944.

Sergei Belov played in 4 consecutive Olympic games, winning 1 gold medal and 4 bronze medals. Under Belov's direction, the Soviet Union became an uncompromising basketball force. He led the Russian National Team to 4 gold medals in the European Championships, 2 gold medals in the World Championships, along with various silver and bronze medals in other years. US Americans often call him "the Jerry West of Russia" because of his on-court presence and comparable skills. Standing 6'3" tall, he was one of the largest figures in international basketball competitions for nearly 2 decades. -Matt Blair

Semjonova, Uljana - Soviet Union/Latvia (Montreal 1976, Moscow 1980). Born 3/9/1952.

Uljana Semjonova is one of the strongest competitors in international basketball history, men's or women's.  Standing 7' tall, she crushed competitors for 18 straight years. In those 18 years, Semjonova never lost a single game of international competition! She won the European Cup Championships 10 times (1968, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1983, and 1985), the Champion of European Clubs' Cups over a dozen times (1968 to 1979, 1981 to 1983, and 1987), and the World Championships 3 times (1971, 1975, 1983). Few players have dominated their sports like Semjonova. -Matt Blair

Cosic, Kresimir - Yugoslavia/Croatia (Mexico 1968, Munich 1972, Montreal 1976, Moscow 1980). Born 11/26/1948. Died 5/25/1995.

Kresimir (also spelled Kresmir) Cosic often goes unrecognized in the world of international basketball, but his contributions to the game will never be forgotten. Cosic played at Brigham-Young University from 1970 to 1973, earning many collegiate awards and honors for leading his team to two regional championships. Cosic, like many international players, declined to play for NBA and ABA teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. He returned to play for European clubs, leading his clubs to many prestigious championships. His four appearances in the Olympics earned him a silver medal in Mexico 1968, and a gold medal in Moscow 1980, when he lead the great Yugoslavian team to incredible victories over Italy and Yugoslavia. - Matt Blair